TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Saturday, Nov. 4, the 308th day of 2017. There are 57 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History
On Nov. 4, 1942, during World War II, Axis forces retreated from El Alamein in North Africa in a major victory for British forces commanded by Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery.
On this date
1884 — Democrat Grover Cleveland was elected to his first term as president, defeating Republican James G. Blaine. 1922 — The entrance to King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in Egypt. 1939 — The United States modified its neutrality stance in World War II, allowing “cash and carry” purchases of arms by belligerents, a policy favoring Britain and France. 1956 — Soviet troops moved in to crush the Hungarian Revolution. 1964 — Comedian Lenny Bruce was convicted by a three-judge panel in New York of obscenity charges stemming from his performances at the Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village. (Bruce received a posthumous pardon in 2003 from New York Gov. George Pataki.) 1979 — The Iran hostage crisis began as militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, seizing its occupants; for some of them, it was the start of 444 days of captivity. 1980 — Ronald Reagan won the White House as he defeated President Jimmy Carter. 1986 — A Carnegie Library Task Force committee sought proposals from interested members of the community for future development of the Sara Hightower Regional Library. 1995 — Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli minutes after attending a festive peace rally. 2007 — King Tutankhamun’s face was unveiled for the first time to the public more than 3,000 years after the pharaoh was buried in his Egyptian tomb. 2008 — Democrat Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States, defeating Republican John McCain.
Five years ago
Zac Vawter, a 31-year-old amputee from Yelm, Washington, who had lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident, climbed the 103 floors of Chicago’s Willis Tower, becoming the first person ever to complete the task wearing a mindcontrolled prosthetic limb.
One year ago
A federal jury found that Rolling Stone magazine, its publisher and a reporter had defamed a University of Virginia administrator in a debunked 2014 story about a gang rape at a fraternity house. (The magazine and the administrator, Nicole Eramo, later reached a confidential settlement.)
A jury convicted two former aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie of causing traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge for political revenge against a Democratic mayor. (Bridget Kelly was later sentenced to 18 months in prison while Bill Baroni received two years; both have appealed.)
Today’s Birthdays
Actress Loretta Swit is 80. Blues singer Delbert McClinton is 77. Former first lady Laura Bush is 71. Actress Markie Post is 67. Actresscomedian Kathy Griffin is 57. Actor Ralph Macchio is 56. Actor Matthew McConaughey is 48. Rapperproducer Sean “Puffy” Combs is 48. Actress Heather Tom is 42. Actress Emme Rylan is 37. Actor Chris Greene (Film: “Loving”) is 35. West End Elementary second-grader Gia Marie Garrison, daughter of Chad and Jennifer Garrison of Rome, is 8.